


Intro to Goodbyes

by Bat_out_of_purgatory



Category: Community (TV)
Genre: Episode: s06e13 Emotional Consequences of Broadcast Television, Little bit of Fluff, M/M, Slight Canon Divergence, Tiny bit of Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-13 12:07:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29526159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bat_out_of_purgatory/pseuds/Bat_out_of_purgatory
Summary: Jeff drives Abed and Annie to the airport, but still hasn't said his goodbyes to Abed.
Relationships: Abed Nadir & Jeff Winger, Abed Nadir/Jeff Winger
Kudos: 14





	Intro to Goodbyes

At least Jeff was somewhat prepared this time for another member of the study group leaving. Losing Pierce and Troy so quickly in succession, then Shirley not long after had hurt badly, but at least he had a few days to process this. He was driving Annie and Abed to the airport, keen to spend any more time with them before they left. I think so. Probably. Maybe. He couldn’t get the words out of his head. Would he even see them again? No. But that’s okay. He was equipped to deal with this now, and he was going to the bar after dropping them off at the airport to meet with the others. He wasn’t alone. He wasn’t alone. 

But it was the end of an era, and he couldn’t change that feeling as much as he tried. 

He could hear Annie and Abed chattering in the backseat about all the opportunities that awaited them, ready to start the rest of their lives. He knew he was supposed to be in the conversation, but he kept thinking about how far they’d come. What they’d achieved, which was ridiculous even by Greendale standards. 

“My favourite moment was our 16 candles homage.” Abed said from the back seat. 

“What?”

“You were thinking about the past. More specifically, your memories with me and Annie.” Jeff looked at Abed through the rear-view mirror. It was the exact same face staring back at him, since the first day they had met. The same depth to those dark eyes. 

“Yeah.” Jeff admitted. “Why that? Did you forget how I left the group because I couldn’t take not being in control of a chicken finger mafia?” Jeff turned with eyes back to driving, focussing too hard on the road ahead. 

“No that was bad. It was about what it represented narratively. It was when we became a family, in italics. And it was one of the first times we really understood each other, even if it was through a John Hughes homage.” Jeff smiled to the response, because only Abed would think about it that way. 

“I prefer the My Dinner with Andre homage in the second season.” Jeff met eyes with Abed yet again through the mirror. “Your first real conversation.” Abed smiled at the reference and leant back in his seat. Jeff had to snap his attention back to the road before he accidentally rear ended the car in front. 

“What about that moment on St Patrick’s Day when…” Abed had turned back to discussing it with Annie, re-enacting what had happened that day. All sound was drowned out by Jeff becoming increasingly aware of how close they were to the airport. It was only when they had pulled up outside it Jeff found himself looking back at them one last time while they were still reminiscing about their adventures. 

They climbed out of the car and grabbed their bags. Jeff hugged Annie and wished her luck with her internship, but they had already said their goodbyes. He’d made peace with her leaving. Jeff gave Abed his bags next, and hugged him tightly too. 

“Abed, I see your value now.” He whispered in Abed’s ear. Abed stepped back and looked at him, staring thoughtfully. He gently smiled, knowing why Jeff was doing it. 

“That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.” Jeff pulls him in for another hug. Longer this time, with more meaning. It’s cathartic; like all the goodbyes Jeff could never say, or even make a montage of. It felt right, so right. Why hadn’t Jeff done this before?

As they finally pulled away, Abed’s eyes shone with something new in them, like he was running more simulations in his mind, doing countless calculations Jeff could never hope to understand. 

“Hurry up, you’ll miss your flight.” Jeff nudged Abed and turned to get back in the car before he had the chance to say anything else. Knowing Abed, he had probably already figured it out. He definitely would before they got to baggage check. That was ok though, because Jeff was equipped to deal with this now. He could deal with it. 

The drive back to the bar was the longest one, partly because he already turned around once to do a ‘running through the airport to confess his love’ scene that he knew Abed would love, before dismissing it. He would keep in touch with Abed for sure, but he needed to move on. Maybe he could get the timing better next time. By the time he reached the bar, he was more confident in his decision. He still had a family waiting for him. 

As he walked into the bar, he felt better. Not because of the immense amount of alcohol there, like he usually did, but because his friends were there. Britta, Craig, Frankie and Chang. Not what he could have predicted on his first day at Greendale, but then again he couldn’t have predicted anything about how his future would turn out from his first day. Not that he would trust anything that version of Jeff would say; looking back that blazer and sweatpants combo was horrific. But like that Jeff, he would grow and heal and move on from Abed. 

He was equipped to handle this and for the first time, he really believed it.   
\---  
Abed kept turning back around while waiting for his flight, half expecting a man to come running up to him. He never did come. It was for the best; Jeff needed to complete his character arc.


End file.
